The wind was howling that day - like an old man trying to send back soup on an airplane. At one end of the Grass Stage, on a raised platform, stood Ryan, his Abra asleep on his shoulder. On the other side, also on a raised platform, was the boy called Ronny. His blond, spiky hair seemed to glisten in the brightness of day.

I've met this guy before, Ryan knew. I fought his Venusaur and beat it with Myrrah. Behind him, his friends and mother sat. Win one more match, and I'll see dad. One more and I'm in the finals. He gulped and threw his Cloyster's Poké Ball. The referee below was waving his flags wildly like he was a proper flag waver.

"Go Lapras!"

The two Water Pokémon flung themselves onto the Grass Stage, which was a nice mixture of rolling hills and trees. "Blizzard it, Myrrah!" Ryan ordered his Pokémon.

"Thunderbolt, Lapras!" the dark-skinned trainer said calmly.

The two passed by one another, exchanging their attacks. The Blizzard did moderate damage to Lapras, but the Thunderbolt hurt more. Both Pokémon fell back, bruised and covered in grass. Dang, he's using sneaky moves too. I'll have to be careful. When Ryan had met this boy more than a week ago, he hadn't expected them to end up facing off for a spot in the final 16. His Venusaur didn't seem to be that strong. Guess a lot's changed in a week!

"Explo… uh, Blizzard," Ryan said. Man, if only I had gotten Explosion before the tournament started. He watched his Pokémon freeze the Lapras again, doing pitiful damage, and knew Myrrah was done.

Another Thunderbolt was all it took; Ryan's Cloyster fainted, and he returned her. "Go, NaVorro! Do a Body Slam attack!"

"Vraahahahaaaaa!" the Tauros said enthusiastically. Running up to the the Lapras, the Bull Pokémon flung himself upon the Nessie wannabe. Lapras flew back, hitting a tree and splitting it in half. Ronny was shouting something. The crowd was roaring. Ryan's hands were drawn into fists, his heart beating furiously. He wondered if anyone thought he would win. Does Alex think I still have a chance?

In the next moment, NaVorro was thrown back by Blizzard winds, his fur crusted with ice. It looked to be a critical hit. "Shake it off!" Ryan urged his Pokémon, who looked to be rather hurt. I can't afford to lose you this early. We haven't even taken down one of Ronny's Pokémon! The Bull Pokémon grunted in frustration and exhaustion, shaking his fur, but he didn't look any better. "Go, NaVorro! Hyper Beam! Defeat that stupid Lapras! Come on, I know you can!" he urged his Pokémon.

And off Tauros went, running back down the grassy stage to his foe. Lapras stood moderately damaged, but not as beat-up as NaVorro. Another Blizzard was just beginning to be conjured by that water beast when NaVorro became the third of Ryan's Pokémon to use Hyper Beam. But he was the first who got STAB off it. And boy did NaVorro not waste that STAB.

His brought Lapras to his white light and took it onboard his beautiful ship, and the rest is history. Lapras fainted, NaVorro returned to his master, and a green dot burned out of existence on the scoreboard above. Now it was Ronny's turn to sweat a lil. I won't give up without a fight.

"Arbok, now it's your turn!" the other boy said.

"Earthquake it, NaVorro!" Ryan urged.

The Tauros whimpered and shot off again. Ronny's command came as mere noise to Ryan; he was too focused on what his Pokémon was doing. I don't expect NaVorro will survive another hit. Not unless I'm lucky. NaVorro jumped into the air, slamming down upon the top of a hill, shattering the ground. Ahead, the Arbok slithered and slimed, but it couldn't dodge the rumbling earth. That snake shook real good; it was like a man showing a woman who he was.

"Yeah, boy!" Ryan declared.

Ronny's voice answered at once. "Now, Arbok, go!"

The Arbok slithered across the broken ground, coming up to a different hill. Sailing into the air, the snake came shooting back down into the ground, cracking it and burrowing the beast under the soil. The earth began to shake again, just as violently as before.

"Oh no, it's doing Earthquake too!" Ryan realized.

And so it was; and so it did. When the Arbok was finished, it sprouted from the ground like parasitic grass, and NaVorro fell over, having fainted. The crowd was going crazy. Ryan felt heat behind his eyeballs. It's over, he thought. I won't win this match. He's got two Pokémon left, and I only have one… He looked down to his hands. A Poké Ball was in each: one contained Aegon; the other contained Thurnax. Who should I pick?

The teal-haired trainer raised his right hand, preparing to throw the Poké Ball, when suddenly, he felt a rustling on his back, and a dark blur shot past his eyes. Onto the railing surrounding the raised trainer platform came Abra, as loose as Kelly after a few cups of orange juice. "Ra, ra, Abra," he said, grasping the index finger of Ryan's outstretched hand (which grasped the Poké Ball he had chosen to almost throw). "Abra abra abra. Ra bra Abra!" There was fire in Abra's voice, Ryan could tell. Fire and heart. He wants this. If this is our last battle, he wants to go out fighting.

Ryan felt the tears coming to his eyes but blinked them away. "Go, boy," he said quietly, almost laughing, almost crying. It'll take a miracle for us to win. "Psychic attack!"

"Rah…" the little Psi Pokémon screamed before teleporting off the stage and entering the arena. Ryan had never seen Abra like this before. He's a little warrior.

"An Abra, really?" Ronny's voice was full of disbelief. "In the fourth round? Is this some kind of joke?"

"'Fraid not," Ryan admitted. "I'm going to win now!"

"Haha, yeah right!" replied the other boy, smiling boldly.

Abra appeared in front of the damaged Arbok, charging purple energy between his claws. With a determined, "Bra!", he flung his Psychic at the snake. Arbok was still warming up its own attack, a dreaded Hyper Beam, when the purple energy washed over it.

A single cough of, "Bok…!" echoed through the stadium, and Arbok fell over.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Ryan whooped. "Great work buddy!"

"Abra, abra…" Abra panted, turning to face his trainer.

The second green dot faded from the screen overhead. It was now one Pokémon against one Pokémon - sudden death for the right to be a part of the Indigo League top 16. Ronny reached for something in his pocket, raised his arm, threw his Poké Ball, and when Ryan saw which Pokémon the other trainer had chosen, he felt a chill descend his spine like an old man trying to climb down a ladder. The crowd was buzzing like hungry dogs. They knew this would soon be over. They're not wrong.

In front of the tiny, lanky Abra stood a rotund giant - a fearsome Gengar. "Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon," Dex droned. "A Gengar is close by if you feel a sudden chill. It may be trying to lay a curse on you."

"Wicked!" Ryan said, almost in admiration. But he wasn't happy - not at all. In fact, the boy's anxiety was pounding against his chest with so much force, he thought he might throw up. Gengar is a fully-evolved Pokémon. Abra has no chance.

"Hypnosis, Gengar!" Ronny urged his Pokémon.

"Gengar geng!" the huge ghost Pokémon chuckled.

Oh no. I know what that means. "Abra, dodge it and hit that Gengar with a Thunder Wave!"

"Raaah!" Abra hissed sinisterly.

The little Psi Pokémon scurried about, bouncing from the trees to the broken ground, using his speed to swiftly approach his foe. Gengar jumped forward, landing right in front of Abra and knocking him off a tree, and began to perform his hypnotizing attack. If that attack hits and Abra is put to sleep… "Dodge it, Abra! Go!"

Abra rolled to the side, averting his eyes from the Gengar and then seemed to teleport around the beast, landing behind him. Gengar's attack missed. The crowd burst with laughter. From behind, Logan shouted something indistinct. Abra's tendrils of lightning cascaded down his claws and onto the Gengar's back, instantly paralyzing the opponent. Gengar fell over and lightly rolled down the hill he had been standing on until he came to a stop in a crater in the grass.

"Psychic!"

"Hypnosis!"

The purple energy hit the Gengar right in the face, causing it to cry out in pain. But it wasn't damaged very much. To Ryan's horror, it seemed like Psychic was only doing moderate damage - not good enough. Luckily, on the Gengar's next turn, it was too paralyzed to move, so Abra was able to hit it with another Psychic. Now the Gengar looked to be a little hurt - but it would take two or three more Psychics to fell it, the boy knew. Those were rounds he didn't have. He saw this plain enough when the Gengar then shot a Thunderbolt at Abra, causing the Psychic Pokémon to fall to his knees screaming. Abra can't take another hit, but Gengar can take two more at least.

A lump welled in his throat. Ryan's breaths came sharply. Abra stood up, preparing his next attack when he looked over at Ryan. It's over, boy. We tried, but I couldn't get us any further. I'm just like dad. I can't lead you to victory. Abra was breathing hard now; his entire body was covered in scratches and dirt. He looked old and tired and ready to give up.

The fire's still burning in his eyes, Ryan noted. He had rarely ever seen Abra's eyes open, much less this determined. Abra looked away and approached his paralyzed quarry. He let out a long, feral cry, and a white light engulfed his fragile form. Abra was lost in the burning colorless energy. The crowd was going crazy. Behind him, his friends and family were on their feet, shouting and clapping their hands. What's going on? "Huh? Where's Abra? What happened?"

"Look!" That was Kelly's voice. She was pointing back to the fight.

His eyes saw the light fading, heard the stadium's noise increase so much that the ground began to shake. There, under the tree, stood not an Abra anymore, towering over the paralyzed Gengar. Th-that's not right… no, it can't be!

Dex's voice sounded like it was coming at him as distantly as if from underwater. "Kadabra, the Psi Pokémon. Many odd things happen if this Pokémon is close by. For example, it makes clocks run backwards."

"N-no… way…" Ryan fell to his knees, his face flushed in disbelief. "Buddy…"

Kadabra raised his spoons over his head, shouting, "Kadabraaaaaah!" as a purple energy beam formed between them in the air. The Gengar could do nothing but sit there and scream as the much-stronger Psychic slapped it across the face. Gengar rolled back a few feet before coming to a stop, belly up. His mouth was agape, and his eyes had gone all swirly.

"Gengar is no longer able to battle!" the referee with the flags decided. "Ryan, from Acapulco, is the winner!"

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss!" the boy screamed, falling to his knees again. There were tears in his eyes, in the bright blue sky. The crowd was clapping wildly for him, hundreds of cheers rising collectively like shadows in a fever dream. Onto the railing, Kadabra suddenly appeared. "Kadabra, kah!" Kadabra said proudly.

"Buddy… Abra - I mean, Kadabra - you did so good out there! You beat a Gengar! And an Arbok! You're so strong! And now we're into the finals!"

"Kadabra!"

Ryan stood up. "Y-you evolved… for me…" He put his hand on Kadabra's shoulder. "Why?"

"Dabra kah!" Kadabra said loyally.

"Dabra kah?"

"Kah!"

"Oh okay. Well, thanks buddy. You know, I couldn't have done this without you. You were awesome out there," he murmured. "You're the reason we're in the finals."

"Kadabra."

Down they went, to the ground, where Alex, Rahul, Kelly, his mother, and Logan awaited him. Like the spectators overhead, their praises piled upon him like cotton candy, coating him in their warmth. He was beaming when his eyes met Kelly's. How do you like that? I'm in the top 16. Her own lips curled in happiness too. In his euphoria, Ryan thrust his Kadabra forward, showing him to everyone. As they 'ooh'd' and 'ahh'd', he turned to Kelly, and nearly leaned in to kiss her. He stopped himself at the last moment, because he remembered this was real life, almost too late. Not until I'm champion, he decided. That way there'll be no way she can resist.

Rahul's last preliminary match went without incident. He smoked his opponent with a Charizard sweep, and they were out by noon. Kelly's match came up next, so the group, in high spirits, trudged off to the Ice Stage to watch her win her way into the top 16. Come on, Kelly. I know you can do it.

His mother had bought him a new Indigo League shirt that was yellow and itched like a nest of Kakuna. Ryan had found that Kadabra did not fit so well in his backpack as Abra had, so the Psi Pokémon had been forced to walk with them if he wanted to remain outside of his Poké Ball. That didn't seem to be what he liked though, so soon Kadabra returned to his ball to get some much-needed rest.

They licked at ice cream cones and sat on the bench in the shade as Kelly ascended to her final battle before the finals. In her hand was a Poké Ball, shining in the light of day. The referee was making smalltalk as the match was getting prepared, and the crowd was humming dully.

"Once this is over, we should go back to the sushi bar," Logan declared. "I want all you can eat sushi for President Goodshow's sake!"

"Calm down, kid. Go play with your Chansey or something," Rahul grunted. "We're going back to that Korean barbeque from two nights ago."

"No, I'm sick of that place, Rahul! If I have to eat there one more time, I swear I'll-"

Rahul was already licking his fingers in anticipation of having the grease and barbeque sauce running down his mouth and into his pristine goatee again. His belly was growling pretty loud too. The two nearly came to blows as Alex sat down between them, nibbling on a raw cucumber like a Nidorino at a salt lick. Ryan's eyes returned to the battle going on ahead. Kelly's shiny Raichu was already out, pacing around the slippery ice, whilst her opponent's Wigglytuff stood poised like honey on a vine.

Ryan couldn't see much of the opponent from his seat; her portrait on the overhead scoreboard was the best look he got of her. She was dressed in dark robed clothes, with medium-length black hair, and wore a crazy amount of makeup. She and Kelly exchanged commands as their Pokémon ran about the Ice Stage firing Thunderbolts and attempting Body Slams and riding Surfs and mustering up Blizzards until, finally, the tired 'Aichu hit the tough Wiggly with a Thunderbolt, sending it skidding into an ice spire, which collapsed over it at once.

They all got to their feet and shouted in support of Kelly. Now we're cooking. Now we're cooking real good. Ryan held the egg he had traded for from that bug catcher tight to his chest, anxious as if he were up there fighting himself. He wondered what Kelly was thinking.

Next came her opponent's Slowbro. 'Aichu hit it with a fierce Thunderbolt that nearly made it faint. But the Raichu was the one who ended up fainting, for on the Slowbro's first turn, it rode a wave of water over the Mouse Pokémon like a Psyduck on vacation. Kelly's next Poké Ball revealed a Hypno. Kelly's Hypno exchanged several volleys of Psychics with the opponent's Slowbro, who continued using Surf. After about four or five turns of this, Slowbro collapsed and was recalled. Great work. Just one more. The crowd was pumped. They were all in for Kelly too, he knew.

From the opponent's Poké Ball came a Clefable. Alright, that's not too bad! Kelly should have this in the bag, Ryan knew. "Psychic!" Kelly ordered her Hypno, who then shot the opposing Clefable. Clefable screamed and flew into the air, landing on the ice with little grace before slipping over. For the briefest of moments, it looked like Kelly was going to win. And then, Clefable's Hyper Beam came flying over, pale as fire, and knocked Hypno back, rendering him unconscious.

Kelly grimaced as the crowd went wild. "Alright, Tauros, you're turn! Finish this Clefable!"

Ryan nodded eagerly. The spotted blue-green egg felt warm against his chest. Yeah, that's it Kelly. Clefable stands no chance against Tauros.

"Body Slam!"

Across the stage, the other girl, whom Ryan thought the scoreboard said was named Ivy, shouted, "Sing, my Clefable! Put that angry bull to sleep!"

"Oh no!" Ryan yelled. "Kelly, get your Tauros out of the way. She's trying to put him to sleep!"

But Kelly was shouting "Body Slam, Body Slam, Body Slam!", and the noise coming from the crowd was overwhelming. She couldn't hear him. Her Tauros charged ahead, oblivious to what was about to happen. It jumped into the air and slammed its form down on the small squishy-looking alien. Clefable shrieked and was left in a crater. Up got Tauros, who began to prance impatiently around the crater. For the second time, it looked as if Kelly had won.

And then, the Clefable stood up. "Clefable, clefable, clefaaaaaaaaaaable, clefable" it sang to the tune of Jigglypuff's song. "Clefable, clefable clefaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaable!"

Ryan averted his ears and eyes, as did most of the spectators. After a few moments, when everyone returned their gazes to the field, Tauros was on the ground, collapsed, fast asleep. Clefable yet stood. The referee with the two flags had fallen asleep, having gotten caught in the range of Clefable's Sing. Suddenly, over the loudspeakers, a shuffling noise could be heard, and a very old man spoke, "H-hey… is this thing on? Dang nabbit, is this thing on or what?" The crowd roared in approval. "Heh, I guess it is! Okay, anyways, given that our referee has fallen asleep, it's up to me, President Goodshow, to render a verdict in this match! Now that Clefable has used a Sing move and put Tauros to sleep, by the rules of the Indigo League - Section 3 subsection 24 - Tauros is no longer able to battle and is technically considered to be knocked out." The last green dot under Kelly's portrait disappeared into blackness.

No! The old man continued talking, proclaiming the opponent, Ivy, the winner, and heaping her with glowing praise. Kelly stood there for a while, not moving. No one below her said anything; they were still in shock. Ryan squeezed his egg, hoping that its warmth would give him a little hope. Then, the pink-haired girl returned her Tauros and descended from the trainer platform. It was such a lonely thing, watching her climb down. The very air seemed to be exploding with people excited about Kelly losing the match. I've never been on this side of it before. I didn't realize it was this bad. He felt worse than he had ever felt before. He wanted to cry again, but he couldn't. Ryan was a man after all.

They all stood up and began speaking in whispers, offering cheap consolations to the girl. She thanked them kindly and held her face, still as water, like it was an ice prison about to crack. Everyone felt awful; they had all wanted Kelly to progress. I know how much this tournament meant to her. She spent months training for this. They hugged her and cried for her, as best they could, but she never reacted. Kelly drifted through group until, at last, she came face-to-face with Ryan. "Hey kid." Her voice was raw as snow. She grabbed at the collar of his shirt, lightly feeling the fabric between her fingers.

"Kelly, I-"

"I know what you're going to say, Ryan. It's not going to help."

"What will?" he asked quietly. Come on, Kelly. You can trust me.

She looked him over, slacking her jaw. "I'll see you around, Ryan."

With that, the girl walked off, her shoulders slumped forward. Don't go. Please, don't go. I need you. Up to Ryan's left walked his mom. She put her hand on his shoulder. "You never told me about her." His mother's voice was full of melancholy.

"Sorry. I just… I didn't think that we…"

His mother pushed her palm into his shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Go," she said. "Trust me, Ryan."

Were you and dad in this situation before? He looked up at his mother for one moment; adrenaline spread through his bloodstream, and Ryan darted off down the dark corridor after Kelly.

"Kadabra, use your psychic powers to open the door! Hurry up!" Ryan commanded his oldest buddy.

"Don't do it, Ryan!" came the muffled, strained voice from beyond the hotel door. "I don't want to see you!"

Like daggers in the night, her words punched through him. "But why?"

"Just go away!" He could hear the grief thick in her voice.

"I'm sorry you lost, and I-I just want to…"

"Ryan!" her voice was full of venom this time. "Leave!"

A cold silence followed. Ryan didn't move for several moments as he thought about what to do. I shouldn't leave her like this. Mom thought… but won't she hate me if I barge in on her? Girls like their privacy. He wanted her. He needed her. But maybe, he was realizing, those feelings only went one way.

"Come on, Kadabra. Let's go," Ryan said dejectedly.

Out they went, leaving the hotel to walk down the streets, which were full of spectators, fans, and the occasional tournament participant. Julia was positioned on the edge of a street corner, under a dusty light post, signing autographs and showing off her well-groomed Starmie. Ryan and Kadabra shuffled past her, trying to play it cool, but some of the autograph hunters caught sight of him and demanded his signature too. Every one he gave them for free, and every one sent pangs of guilt up and down his forearm when he signed them. But he was too polite a boy to refuse.

They eventually came to a Poké Center, where Ryan bought himself a cold sandwich and rested his Pokémon. The others are out eating again. Partying because Rahul and I made it into the top 16. Somehow, it didn't feel right to join them. As well as the day had started, it had ended about as poorly as it could have, and now Ryan was sitting alone in a nearly-abandoned Pokéhospital having dinner by himself. He watched Nurse Joy wipe down the counter for a while before going back over to the greasy-haired shopman in the corner who sold all sorts of Poké Items, like TMs.

"Do you have Explosion in stock?" the boy asked, throwing away his sandwich wrapper.

"Nope, fresh outta that one," the man said lazily. "Anything else I can getcha?"

"Just that," Ryan sighed. "Or where to find it."

"Explosion's a popular TM," the man mused. "It's probably sold out in all the shops around here."

I know. I checked. "Alright, thanks for the help anyways."

"W-wait…" the man said, lowering his voice. "There is one other way."

"One other way?" Oh please Poké Santa, don't let this guy be crazy like all the other adults. "If you visit The Oracle, she can give you any TM you desire… but it'll cost you."

"How much?" The man simply laughed diabolically. "Where is she?"

"On the side of the mountain. Her temple's lit up by torches, you can't miss it."

"Great. And this isn't a trap or anything, is it?"

"No, no, no." The man waved his hands quickly. "But I'm not liable for anything The Oracle does to you."

"Cool."

"Hey, you wanted the TM! That's the only way I know you can get Explosion if you absolutely need it now!"

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "How many other trainers go to The Oracle to buy TMs?"

"Like one or two a year."

"Why so few?"

The man scratched his head nervously. "Well, it's expensive, and well, I don't know…! Help… god save the queen!" With that, the sweaty man with short black hair and a nice little hospital suit ran down the hallway behind him, where a Chansey was mopping. When he slipped and fell over, the Chansey bellowed, "Seeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Frickin' adults. Man, I swear… Ryan got out of there as fast as he could, but no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't get that man's words out of his head. What if he's right? The boy eyed the distant light coming from the side of the mountain wrapped around the eastern perimeter of the town. That would be The Oracle. Funny, I never noticed her temple before.

Looking down at the old napkin he still kept in his pocket, Ryan bit his tongue. Much of the writing had faded, but 'Explosion' was still clear as day, written in the scrawl of Alex, the Fire Emblem Obsessor. Everything else was clearly crossed out. I got everything except for Explosion. That's the last move I need to finish my team.

Ryan shook his head and let Aegon out of his ball. "Fly me over to that light," the boy said, pointing to the far-distant temple. "And this time, go easy. I don't want to have to go through another crash landing, okay?"

"Arwraaah!"

"Good, that sounds like a 'yes master, I won't crash this time' if I ever heard one!" Ryan replied, climbing onto Aegon's back.

Into the air they went, soaring above the Indigo Plateau Conference town like ravens hunting for carrion. Everyone looked so small below them, like ants ready to be crushed.

Ryan and Aegon only crashed into three trees before reaching The Oracle's temple. It was made of pale jade stone, carved out of the side of the mountain, lit braziers and torches bathing the outer rock in flickering light. Dark shapes seemed to dance across the stone, and Ryan's head was suddenly pounding, like he had a splitting migraine. Weird. And my fingers are tingling too. What is this place?

"H-hello?" he called out, his voice echoing off the bare rock. No response came. Something is off about this place. A sound, like sizzling whispers, rose for an instant, only to be carried away on a nightly breeze a breath later. Pain washed over Ryan's face, down from his forehead, and he winced. "Is anyone there? Hello?"

More whispering followed. He stepped into the temple, past several pillars and burning oil torches, past empty benches, covered in dust and cobwebs, up to the center of the small room inside, which was circular and covered in a dark black-and-rust patterning. The patterns on the walls, floor, and ceiling were a mixture of spirals and diamond-shaped tessera. Inside, the air reeked of smoke - surely because of the open fire pit in the center of the room, whose smoke was rising in thick inky plumes past a hole in the ceiling. There was a woody, earthy spice in the air as well, and Ryan had to grab a nearby jade pillar to prevent himself from falling over.

"Whasss… whasss goin' on?" His own voice sounded small, child-like, lost to him.

Ahead, in the swirling flames and glowing embers, the form of a female appeared, puffing up from the ashes like a ghost in a graveyard. Her skin was light, her hair straight and black and short, her dark eyes narrow and piercing into him. Her shirt was dark and tight against her skin; she wore fingerless gloves, elbow guards, and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. Her light-colored shorts were torn and pulled back severely, almost as far back as a bikini. The boy shivered and felt pangs of pain cascade down his spine. Who is she? She's so beautiful…

For a moment, it looked like the woman was walking towards him. Just before she reached Ryan, she opened her mouth and tried to speak; exploding in a mess of ash and smoke, the shadow girl melted like sugar in water, and her form was replaced by someone Ryan recognized.

This shadow had just the faintest glimmer of fire in her hair - it made her hair look pink. Kelly's form studied Ryan with those big sad eyes of hers before puffing away into nothingness. Ryan stumbled around the room, his hands extended to prevent himself from falling over. He called for Kelly, for his mother, for Abra. When he spoke his Pokémon's name, the dark swirling shapes around him vanished, and instead, a single blue-green egg appeared in the middle of the fire, charring itself black.

Is that my egg? Are you kidding me?! How did it fall into the fire? Disoriented and alarmed, the teal-haired boy rushed forward to snatch up his egg when it began to crack and split open. He stepped back, uncertainly, and was met by the flailing visage of a Magikarp, flinging itself from the broken egg to flop and sputter on top of the shimmering embers and dying flames. Wait… how is it not getting burned? A pain as sharp as a spear poked outwards from above Ryan's right eye, and he fell to one knee.

"Please…" he begged, his eyes tearing up (definitely and only because of the smoke), "st-stop it…!"

A Rapidash was sprinting around the tiny room, its hooves clamoring off the stone floor, its shadow-fire form blurring against the jade walls. Ryan thought he saw a rider on the beast's back, but before he could tell if it was male or female, Rapidash exploded into oblivion as Kelly once had.

"Child of my enemy, why have you come?" came the low growl of an ancient woman, her voice tempered by a pair of spiffy smoker's lungs (at least that's what it sounded like to Ryan).

Rubbing his forehead hopelessly, the boy whispered. "I'm here to buy a TM."

"Oh, that's all?" The old crone's tone faded and was replaced by the voice of a younger woman - one who sounded very much like Nurse Joy. Around the fire, a group of Abra were dancing and singing in a foreign tongue. Without warning, they shrieked and flung themselves into the fire, causing the room to explode with white light.

Ryan felt back, shielding his eyes. I knew it. That man was insane, and I was a fool for listening to him. I should have never come here. He sat up again, blinking away the tears and coughing. Massaging his throat, Ryan noticed there was now someone else in the room with him.

The Oracle. She sat on a raised circular platform, like a massive pillar cut down to its base. On raised unlit braziers behind her, two Jynx sat, their legs crossed, their hands on their knees, their eyes closed in meditation. The Oracle opened her viridian eyes and studied Ryan. Her face was hidden behind hanging jewels and a mask that showed only her eyes and nose; her exposed flesh had been painted with white powder, and strange black hieroglyphs had been painted on her cheeks. Her clothes were all robes and hanging jewelry, and Ryan found himself having a hard time figuring out if she was hot or not. I have no idea how old she is. She could be twenty or eighty for all I know.

"Sorry about that," The Oracle said at last, taking Ryan aback with how casual her voice sounded. "I thought you were someone else."

"Who?"

"None of your business, kid."

"Fine. So, uh, do you have an Explosion for sale or not?" he asked impatiently.

The two Jynx cracked open their eyes and exchanged a look. "Forty-eight hundred Poké Dollars," The Oracle whispered.

"Aw, come on! That's like three times as much as it would cost in a Poké Centers!"

"Go buy one there, then." Her bright green eyes never left his.

"Whoa, whoa whoa. Okay, okay, hold your Rapidashes, sheesh!" Ryan said hastily, taking out his wallet. Inside, he found a mere five thousand Poké Dollars. Great, I'm going broke again. Being a Pokémon trainer sure isn't a good way to make money… "Here," he said, handing her the bills.

The Oracle pocketed the money without moving anything aside from her arm. Then, she looked beyond Ryan and nodded. "There," she breathed.

When he turned around, he saw a silver metal canister sitting on the stone floor. Behind the boy, the fire roared and flared up. He shivered. She's a magic lady. A real magic lady! This is so creepy. "Thanks," he spoke meekly, not turning around. This better work. I swear, if this is some kind of scam…

"Look to the skies, Ryan," The Oracle murmured.

"Huh?"

The Oracle's hanging jewelry jingled when she turned her face away from him. "Once you are past the golden sunset. You will know when it's time, kid."

"You're a real jive turkey, you know that?" The boy's voice was rising. He realized that his headache was gone. "Can you just say what you mean?"

The woman's jewelry tinkled softly again. The two Jynx faded from existence. The fire cooled at Ryan's feet. Grey smoke snaked upwards like a Chinese dragon. The Oracle gazed at him for a long time before speaking. "Your past deeds have not been forgotten." Ryan spit the smoke from his throat and stepped back. The room smelled of bleach now, arid and sterile and devoid of life. "She's a black belt in karate. But that doesn't mean everything."

Kelly? "Who are you talking about?"

The Oracle stood and cracked her neck. "Go to her."

"Who?!"

"When the evil-natured robots call…" the woman's voice trailed off, as delicate as flying silk, "go to her. Look to the skies, Ryan. Save them all."

The Oracle leaned forward, as if to crack her back, and her entire body dissolved away into dust and smoke and ash. The aroma of brimstone wafted through the air. What the heck was that? What's going on?

He was alone again in the desolate temple. The fire at his feet was dead, its light and warmth long gone. A skirling wind from the north came savagely down through the hole in the ceiling to beat across his burning cheeks. Ryan felt goosebumps spread across his arms, swallowed hard, and screamed like a proper Koga. Turning, his breath frosting in front of his lips, Ryan pulled Aegon's Poké Ball from his pocket and raced out of that room, The Oracle's words pounding through his brain with every nerveless step he took.